Children and adolescents suffering from oppositional defiant disorder exhibit a pattern of hostile, defiant, and negative behavior more often than is commonly observed in other individuals of the same mental age. They are argumentative with adults, are often angry and resentful, frequently lose their temper, swear, defy rules and requests from adults, and deliberately engage in annoying behavior. They also tend to not see themselves as a problem, but rather justify their behavior as a response to unreasonable circumstances.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is many times treated with the same therapies employed for the treatment of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), e.g., methylphenidate (Ritalin.TM.), which exhibits noradrenergic and dopaminergic effects. Gross has demonstrated that certain ODD symptoms may be ameliorated by augmentation of standard ADHD therapies with buspirone in certain patients (Gross, J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 34(10), 1260 (1995)). Many patients are refractory to these treatments, or discontinue treatment due to intolerable side effects. Furthermore, due to the high potential for substance abuse in oppositional defiant disorder patients, the use of stimulants such as methylphenidate is problematic.
The need for a safe and effective treatment for oppositional defiant disorder, without the disadvantages of current therapies, continues to be a concern of the psychiatric community.